Cornwall
by areanna123
Summary: When the Regent of Cornwall dies Morgana, Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen travel to Morgana's childhood home to meet the new Regent of Morgana's property. Morgause and Mordred will be included later on.
1. Chapter 1

Cornwall

A/N: Set early season 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin

Morgana glanced at Arthur as a nobleman listed complaints against his neighbor. The neighbor appeared to have done nothing wrong. He simply wanted the other mans lands. No matter how many pretty words he used to cover up his intent, it was obvious even to the Prince. Arthur looked bemused and disgusted, opening his mouth to interrupt several times. He was hushed with a gesture from his father every time.

Uther lounged on his throne looking at ease, but attentive. Despite being a man of action and swift judgment, he could be incredibly patient when it suited him. The mans incessant whining was abruptly ended as the doors burst open and Leon marched through them followed by an out of breath messenger.

"Please forgive me, my lord, for my interruption from your honorable work. I have a messenger here with me, from Cornwall. I was going to have him wait until your meeting was over, but he mentioned that his news might affect the Lady Morgana."

"Thank you sir Leon. Lord Berec, I must postpone this meeting, but I think I will have a solution for you when next we speak."

Arthur looked relieved, and Lord Berec disgruntled, but simpering as always. Leon nodded respectfully as the man left, then he motioned the messenger forward. Morgana tilted her head to the side curiously. It was rare that she heard from her childhood home, and she wondered why they would seek her out now.

Sure she was technically the Duchess of Cornwall, but a cousin of her fathers had been named regent after his death. Morgana could have gone back and ruled from Tintagel at any point after she had come of age, but she was used to living in Camelot, and she was used to Uther and Arthur as well. Though she would rather undergo torture than admit to any small amount of genuine affection for either of them.

"What news do you bring of Cornwall?" Uther's brow was furrowed as though he was expecting bad news. Then again he generally was. Which wasn't all that surprising taking into the amount of horrible or bizarre incidents that took place in his kingdom. Most of them were the result of his own actions, so that might just be a vicious cycle at work.

"Duke Marcus passed away. He was out on his daily ride, and was thrown from his horse. He landed on his neck, the physician says that he didn't suffer."

The messenger looked at Morgana compassionately as he spoke. He apparently expected Morgana to be deeply grieved by the death of her cousin, despite the fact that she hadn't even seen Marcus more than a handful of times. He frowned disapprovingly at her lack of reaction before turning back to the king expectantly.

Uther nodded thoughtfully and spoke sharply.

"Who has temporarily taken control of Tintagel?"

"The son of Duke Marcus, My Lord, Duke Cador."

"Did he send along a message?"

"He only asked that he be allowed to continue his fathers work, as the ruler of Cornwall."

"His father wasn't the ruler, he was the regent for Morgana." Arthur broke in loudly, and protectively.

The messenger sifted nervously, but his words came out evenly nonetheless.

"I'm sure my lord meant no disrespect. It's just that the Lady Morgana hasn't been to Tintagel since she was very young, most people assume that my lord owns Cornwall. It is easy to forget that the Lady Morgana is the ruler."

"Well, I suppose we will just have to remind them." Uther now looked as displeased as Arthur. He motioned Leon forward with the wave a hand. Somehow he made even that look ominous. Morgana wondered if she ever looked that, then dismissed the thought. She was nothing like Uther.

"Find our guest a place to stay, and send me Gaius."

Sir Leon bowed and left with the messenger in tow. It was quiet in the throne room once the Pendragons were alone. Morgana wasn't sure how to feel. She was angry about being usurped, or almost potentially usurped really, but she also realized that that Cador had lived in Cornwall his whole life. He probably felt a deep bond to the dukedom. The only interaction Morgana bothered with in regards to her old home was collecting revenue. She hadn't even participated in that until a few years ago, Uther had managed all her money and lands when she was a child. He still did often look over anything she wasn't completely sure of.

Duke Marcus was the one who had efficiently run Cornwall for fourteen and a half years, and as the oldest living male from the house of Gorlois he might have been given ownership of Cornwall if Gorlois hadn't loudly proclaimed Morgana his heir. He even had legal papers drawn up by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which were witnessed by Uther himself. Morgana was sometimes ironically amused when she thought about the fact that her father probably wouldn't have had to go through half so much trouble if he had had a son instead.

Now the son of Marcus was taking the reigns of Cornwall, and with the aforementioned knowledge in mind, it made sense that Cador might feel some claim over the lands. Still, she couldn't help but feel a territorial protectiveness that screamed out against a great injustice done to her. She had to bite her tongue to combat the overwhelming urge to say 'mine' aloud.

Gauis walked through the door with Merlin behind him. Arthur looked like he wanted to say something rude about how his servant should by doing some onerous task, but apparently was in too sour a mood. Uther looked mildly surprised by the unasked for manservant's attendance, but apparently didn't see any harm in his presence, and probably forgot the boy was even in the room moments later.

Uthers jaw suddenly clenched, and he stalked to the window with long, harsh strides. And clasped his hands behind his back. Merlin looked as eager and inquisitive as always, and took a moment to study each noble individually. Whatever he saw made his eyes turn serious. Morgana didn't find that overly unusual. While it wasn't atypical for one or two of the Pendragons to be petulant or bad-tempered at a time, it was strange to find them all so at once. Morgana reluctantly acknowledged that it probably didn't look like a pleasant situation to be involved in if not even one of them appeared slightly overconfident. Usually Arthur or his father.

After a few more moments of tense silence, as everyone waited for Uther to speak, Gauis stepped forward, a concerned eyebrow disappeared into his hair.

"Sire, is there something you required?"

"Morgana, and therefore I, may have a problem soon. At the moment it may be minor, possibly even nonexistent, but if not handled properly, has the potential to be…difficult."

"What problem would that be? Is it health related?"

Uther finally turned to from the window to speak to Gauis directly.

"No, no, nothing like that. We received word that the regent of Cornwall died. A fair man, his death is most unfortunate. His son, Duke Cador is in command at the moment. He wishes to take up his fathers post. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem. I would send out someone to make sure he was up to the task, and loyal to the crown and that would be that. This is different though, this is Morgana's inheritance, and she hasn't been to Cornwall since she was ten. It wouldn't be hard for someone else to take control, especially being that most of the people may not even know that she is the Duchess."

The king turned away from the rooms other occupants as he continued.

"It's not unlikely that our fears are unfounded, I haven't even met the young man, if he is anything like his father then we should have little to worry about. Still it concerns me. Cornwall is powerful, and Tintagel is near impenetrable, Camelot could defeat them, but I would rather not wage war against Morgana's kinsmen. Not to mention the number of casualties it would take on both sides. And the number of men it would take to siege Tintagel would leave Camelot weakened."

Morgana had noticed that Arthur had a similar way of asking for advice without really have to ask. Arthur himself had gone from looking defiant, and ready for a fight, to worried as his father spoke. While he had fully supported the idea of quarreling with someone trying to steal from her, he had gone pale at the mention of casualties, and nearly transparent when a weakened Camelot was discussed. When he glanced at Morgana, she did her best to keep her expression unreadable, and her muscles relaxed.

"Well, does Morgana actually want Cornwall? You already take care of most of her expenses, and I haven't heard her say anything about wanting to return to Cornwall since she was eleven years old."

Uther was shaking his head before Gaius finished.

"Whether she wants it or not isn't the issue, it belongs to her. If she decides that she doesn't want it anymore one day, for whatever reason, then she can do what she will. I don't she has any intention of giving it up purely because doesn't want to make trouble with a presuming relative."

Uther gave her a fond glance, but she saw Merlin and Arthur studying her hopefully. She felt like she was being tested, yet she didn't know what they wanted from her. Were they expecting her to drop this? If that's what they were trying to wordlessly ask her then they would have to live with a bit of disappointment.

What were they so worried about anyway? It probably wouldn't come to war, and even if it did, what does that have to do with either of them? Sure Arthur had often led his men into battle in the past, but it was unlikely that Uther would send his son, the Prince, so far away for an undetermined length of time. He wasn't at risk, so why did he look as though it would be his life she was gambling with if asserted her claim over her property?

"I could care less about what my cousin might want. I will do everything I can to keep Cornwall. It's the greatest reminder I have of my father. The cost, whatever it may be, will be worth it in the end."

"To who? You and my father maybe, but the people who will be dying for it will probably have a difference of opinion!" Arthur burst out heatedly.

Morgana and Uther frowned identically, but Morgana beat the king to a cool condescending response.

"You should be used to this sort of thing by now, Arthur. How many of those men you lead into battle do you really think are so eager to fight for you? You think they would simply volunteer to follow you to certain death because they love you so much. They have orders. That is why they follow you. Believe me, a good portion of the people won't even know you've taken the throne until years after the death of your father," with a quick glance to Uther, "may that be many years from now."

Uther looked a bit conflicted. While he supported Morgana, it was uncomfortable to see his son near devastated. He wasn't sure how to make Arthur feel better, or if he should even try, since the boy was being insensible, so he tried to gently share his wisdom.

"Sometimes sacrifices must be made."

"There has to be some way to resolve this without the people of Camelot being the ones to suffer." Arthur insisted.

"Of course, son, haven't you been listening? Morgana and I aren't seeking a fight, we were just contemplating the worst case scenario, you'd be a fool to tae a course of action without considering the consequences. I'm sure we would all prefer a diplomatic solution, though, I admit, I'm surprised that you would so strongly support a peaceful solution. It shows maturity, I'm impressed, but remember moderation. There won't always be a peaceful answer, sometimes actions speak louder than words, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't always try to avoid a fight if you can honorably. Unless, of course, if it's magic related."

Morgana turned away nervously. There was an awkward silence as Uther applauded his parental lecture, Arthur sat abashed, and Merlin, Morgana, and Gauis tried not to obviously react. Gauis did the best job, not that it really mattered as the Pendragons tended not to be observant when the subject of magic came up.

"Sire, it seems to me that you should send someone to investigate this Duke Cador before any hasty decisions are made." Gauis said.

"Yes, Arthur will leave with a handful of men as soon as Geoffrey writes up the documents to give Cador the regency, and to pledge his loyalty to me and Morgana. It shouldn't take him long, you should expect to leave by tomorrow morning."

"I will?" Arthur asked.

"Who better?"

"Me, for one. I am overdue a trip to Cornwall anyway." Morgana answered.

"It might be dangerous." Uther appeared ambivalent. On one hand the trip may prove to be harmless, and even beneficial, if Morgana could charm the people it would greatly reduce the chances of them revolting against her in favor of Cador. It shouldn't be a difficult thing for her to do, Morgana could be very charismatic when she choose to be. He couldn't send her alone she would be defenseless against her relatives and their men at arms.

"Arthur will go with you. Send the messenger ahead with word of your visit."

**A/N: So what do you guys think? Good so far or should I give up now? I going to go ahead and tell everyone that romance will not be a big part of this story. Mordred and Morgause are planned to be making appearances, and will almost certainly be major characters. I don't intend for Morgana to turn out completely evil, but I do prefer to read and write about her with a grey morality. Any questions anyone has will be answered to the best of my ability if I wasn't clear on anything. **


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin

Merlin woke with a groan, hastily washed his face, and threw on a fairly clean shirt. He had to get up even earlier than usual to wake up Arthur, so that they could go to Cornwall for a reason that wasn't quite clear to him. He could hear Gaius setting up breakfast in the other room, and nearly slipped on the blanket he had thrown onto the floor earlier.

He checked that the door was closed securely, and cleaned his room with magic. Merlin surveyed the room pleased at the outcome of the spell, before he noticed his mistake. If Gaius were to enter the room he would undoubtedly notice that it was too clean for his ward to have done by hand.

So naturally, in order to avoid another tongue lashing about using magic for chores, Merlin rumpled the bed, pulled two articles of clothing partially out of the draws, and wiped a bit of dirt from one of his shoes onto the ceiling. He was amused to discover that it was still cleaner than before he used the spell. That done he grabbed the small bag he had packed for the journey, and stepped out to meet Gaius.

"Good morning." Merlin attempted to stride passed the older man, but was stopped with a look.

"Sit down, have breakfast, you have a long trip ahead of you."

Merlin was going to refuse, a look out the window told him he wasn't up as early as he had thought he was, but decided he probably wouldn't be too late.

"Thank you."

"You have everything you need?"

"Yes. Well, I think so. Prince dollop head was about as cryptic as could be when I asked him how long we would be gone. He did have me pack most of his clothes though, even the formal ones, so it might be awhile. How long do you think?"

"Oh, it's hard to say. These things could be cleared up within days or it may take months."

"Months!"

"It probably won't take the long. Unless of course Morgana decides to stay, Arthur would want to make sure she's comfortably settled before leaving her there by herself. Speaking of her, make sure you give these to Gwen. The bottle is a sleeping drought, and the paper is the instructions on how to make it. Gwen will see that it goes straight to the physician if Morgana starts having any trouble with her rest."

"No one said anything about Morgana staying. Camelot is her home."

"It wasn't always. It probably won't come to that anyway, the idea may not have even occurred to Arthur yet, or Morgana. Though I'm sure Morgana will consider sooner rather than later. Uther may have dismissed the idea completely.

"The king never saw much in Tintagel, other than it's security. It's bordered by the sea on one side and cliffs on the other. The only way to reach Tintagel is through a small pass that just barely allows room for a wagon. It's a gloomy place, I don't think the king expects Morgana to desire to take up a permanent residence there after all the years she's spent in Camelot."

"Do you think otherwise, Gaius?"

"It's possible. Morgana isn't a little girl anymore, it would make sense that she would want her own home, where no one can tell her what to do or scold her. She's never much liked being without control, which I will say, made her a bit contrary as a child. I can see her enjoying the freedom of her own castle, and being happily involved in the running of her duchy. Even if it is a cold, rocky, wild portion of land. What has you so upset?"

"Nothing. I'm just worried about her…gifts. I can't help her from here if something happens, but I won't be able to just leave Arthur. I will eventually have to come back home to complete my destiny. I guess I will just hope that Morgana values the family, and friends who love her here, more than the power she could possess in Cornwall. For her own sake."

Morgana was already up when Gwen arrived that morning. They had stayed up late packing the night before, well, mostly Gwen, but it appeared that Morgana was adding a few things.

When that was done she turned and sat at the table, apparently writing a letter. As Gwen got closer, with Morgana's breakfast balanced precariously in one hand as she shut the door, she realized that Morgana was looking at numbers rather than words. She was frowning, and so distracted by what she was reading that she didn't notice her maids presence until her breakfast was placed beside her.

"Is everything alright milady?"

"Fine. I was just looking over my income over the last few years, I don't want to be ignorant if it comes up. Earlier I was looking at the names of the nobles and high-ranking military leaders there. I didn't know that Cador was married, he even has a son named Constantine, a boy nine years old."

"That's interesting, but you should eat. You'll do fine as you are, believe me nobody will mistake you as ignorant. Tired maybe. I doubt you even went to bed last night. You should have let me run down to get a drought from Gaius if your having trouble sleeping. Eat your breakfast, you know how you get when your hungry."

"I don't get like anything!" Despite her protest Morgana started her morning meal easily enough. Though, being Morgana, she reached for a pitcher of wine to go with it. Gwen intercepted, and handed her water instead. She pouted, but thankfully didn't argue.

"Do you think I should wear my armor? Or a regular riding dress? I don't know what message I really want to send."

It sort of worried Gwen that Morgana's mind worked like that. Who puts armor up as a dress option for visiting a relative? Other than Arthur. He was similar to Uther in a way or two, but Morgana was the one who shared his fathers love of ornate dress and accessories. Even if Uther did generally only wear black, it still shined through.

Gwen sometimes wondered what went on in Morgana's head. She was never sure whether the other woman was a genius, the most intelligent person Gwen had ever met, or simply a flippant noble woman. One who was prone to daydreaming, and focusing entirely on her wardrobe.

The journey would be three days at least, so even if Morgana did need to make an interesting entrance, armor wouldn't be needed until the day of their arrival. Not to mention that this was supposed to be peaceful mission, if possible.

Perhaps Morgana was acting oddly because she was more nervous than she had let on. Or maybe she feared some unknown danger, it wasn't out of the ordinary for Morgana to have a feeling that was later proven to be correct. While Morgana and Gwen didn't talk about Morgana's dreams or feelings Gwen still knew enough not to doubt the other woman when she made strange comments.

Gwen considered the raven haired young woman who was expectantly waiting for her opinion, and decided that it probably wasn't a vision. Morgana had to be genuinely interested in her wardrobe, there was no way she could look so relaxed otherwise. Gwen should have dismissed her suspicions straight away.

"The dress. We're not going into battle Morgana."

"You don't know that."

"…do you?"

"No."

"Then why insist on armor? You look very pretty in your dresses Morgana." Gwen tried to sound persuasive, and it seemed to be working until Morgana shook her head dismissively.

"I always look pretty. I guess I can compromise, though. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't always have to have my way. I'll just wear the shirt and leggings from the armor. We're bringing a good deal of my wardrobe anyway."

Gwen went to respond to that, but decided that she probably didn't want to continue this conversation.

"You were up early this morning, and I left late last night. Did you get _any_ rest?"

Morgana pushed her half eaten breakfast to the side, and walked over to her wardrobe, pulling out the shirt and leggings she picked out. Gwen started towards her to help the other woman, by force of habit, but realized that the outfit wasn't complicated and didn't have any ties in the back, so turned to straighten up the table, and waited for Morgana to answer.

Gwen had started out the sentence just trying to change the subject, but was almost surprised by how concerned she really was. She had gotten so used to Morgana's night terrors that they didn't really bother her anymore unless they were at their worst, but today was different. Morgana couldn't just take a nap if she was tired later, they would be traveling all day. It could be bad is she fell asleep in the saddle. Then again Morgana was a talented equestrian, it was crazy to worry so much.

"Some. Probably more than that poor girl. A new serving girl was just leaving, a few hours before morning, when she heard screams coming from my room. I'd had a bad dream, thankfully I don't really remember most of it, and it probably didn't make much sense anyway, but it frightened her horribly. She was very kind though, woke me up, and calmed me to the best of her abilities. I wish I could thank her, but I was so out of it I didn't even catch her name. I'm not sure if I would even recognize her if I saw her again. Oh well."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I wish I had been here. Maybe I'll meet the girl sometime, and I can thank her for you. In the meantime let me do your hair."

Morgana gave a pleased smile, and walked to the vanity elegantly. It also concerned Gwen that her best friend could go from teary eyed to carefree smiling instantly.

"How do you want it?"

"A braid. Best for traveling."

Gwen nodded and started brushing the knots out of the tangled hair. Morgana hummed contentedly, she loved getting ready for the day, being dressed up. Suddenly an amused smile spread across her face.

"You know Gwen, without you, I think I would probably look quite the mess. I can't imagine I would ever bother brushing my hair. It's always a tedious task."

"Luckily the day you have to mange that yourself is a very unlikely one to ever occur."

Morgana gave a slightly self-deprecating chuckle, and met Gwen's eyes in the mirror.

"Are you ready to visit my homeland?"

"It sounds exciting."

"Arthur hopes not. You should have heard him yesterday, talking about peaceful solutions. I didn't think he even knew such a thing existed." Gwen was surprised by the harsh, slightly derisive, note in her voice, but registered the reluctant respect it was covering up a beat later.

"He's growing up." Gwen tried to keep the pride out of her voice. Her hands were steady from years of practice, but she had to concentrate to keep her pace from slowing. She didn't want Morgana to notice her interest in the topic at hand.

"Uther said something similar. Personally, I don't see it. I think the prat would just rather stay here strutting about, then help me."

"Oh, you don't really think that."

"Yes, I do."

Morgana sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. Gwen didn't understand why Morgana always tried to see the worst in people. Morgana liked to fancy herself realistic, but Gwen always thought that the Lady seemed more like someone who used to be incredibly hopeful, but had had the world turned upside down on her.

What she needed to give her faith that everything would turn out okay, was a cause. When Morgana had a cause to fight for she was happiest. No matter what the cost, no matter what she had to do, when Morgana was fighting she was at her best.

In a way Gwen was almost thankful for this Cornwall dilemma, it gave Morgana a challenge, something meaningful to do. When she went too long without doing something she either got restless and caused trouble or she grew solemn, unhappy. This whole thing could also turn out to be a curse. If there really was trouble, and she somehow lost Cornwall Gwen didn't know what Morgana would do. While she was at her best when she had her cause she was also at her worst.

Even though she was at top form Gwen was aware that Morgana was also capable of dark things when she had a goal. She was insanely stubborn, had a one-track mind, and her morals were questionable, most of the time. Sometimes it was a disturbing combination, and Gwen didn't always feel safe around Morgana.

She was usually able calm herself with the knowledge that Morgana generally meant well. She wasn't a bad person, in fact she often did her best to do the right thing. When Morgana was destructive it wasn't for no reason at all, it was just that her reasons were either flimsy or made no sense to anyone other than herself.

Morgana could be generous, she was often very kind. She would give up her food when there was famine, she would help the wounded, she would save a child from execution (well, try. Arthur, and Merlin ended up doing at least half the work), and she would spend the night chained to a wall in a cell for speaking out against the murder of her maids father.

After she did things like that how could Gwen harbor any suspicions against her friend?

"We should head out. Arthur is sure to be irritated enough with us by now. We're a bit late."

**A/N: So, did you guys enjoy this chapter? I'll try to get updates done fairly regularly. I actually planned this story out, which surprised even me. I'm about half way done with chapter three, so I hope that pleases people. In particular the two very awesome people that put this on their favorites list, and the four very awesome people that are currently following this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin

"Where are they? It only takes me minutes to leave, and Morgana had all night." Arthur was pacing in front of the stone steps. He seemed nervous, and it was making the guards and knights restless.

Merlin found it amazing how many people it took for one Lady to visit her childhood home. It was almost a small army. When Merlin said as much to Arthur, the Prince had scoffed and said 'Morgana takes more men when she visits her fathers grave'. It made the Warlock wonder why that would be. Shouldn't you take more men when going someone new? Arthur answered that question too, without even having to be asked, 'because we are going on a peace mission. At least to begin with. Bringing a mass of armed men can be seen as an aggressive gesture.'

"I'm here. I didn't mean to worry you, your highness." Morgana's voice was dripping with sarcasm. She was wearing a white shirt, black trousers, riding boots, and a mocking smile. She seemed to be in a very pleasant mood.

Uther walked down the stone steps purposefully, and stopped in front of his son.

"You know that your aim is to observe Duke Cador, and to make the crowns position, if Duke Cador insists upon quarreling with Morgana, quite clear. Avoid war if you can, but if you can't that is acceptable. Watch out for Morgana. Protect her. Not that she needs it, in truth perhaps we should be more concerned about Cadors welfare. Good luck on your journey."

Uther put a hand on his sons shoulder briefly, and walked away, stopping in front of Morgana.

" I hope that your visit is satisfactory. If you need to return to Camelot, for any reason, Arthur will arrange it immediately. Oh, and Morgana, try to stay out of trouble."

"No promises." Morgana replied good naturedly.

Uther gave his ward a stern look, and pulled her into a warm embrace. Despite his vexation with Morgana's flippant attitude, he seemed amused with her. He always did have a pleasant disposition whenever she was involved, until magic or the way he ran his kingdom came up. If the two topics were avoided, the two people got along very well.

When Morgana was released, Arthur helped her onto her horse. Merlin hopped onto his own, and looked up to find one of the knights helping Gwen onto hers. Arthur stepped away, and mounted his, frowning at the pair irritably.

Merlin glanced at Morgana, and was surprised to see her looking at Arthur thoughtfully, and then carefully examining Gwen the same way. Morgana caught him staring at her, and her expression went from calculating, and near suspicious to content, and arrogant.

They had ridden out the gates before Merlin realized that the reason Morgana might have given him that smug grin was because she thought he was interested in her. The thought made him blush, and he was thankful that no one, Arthur in particular, was really paying him any attention.

Merlin knew that Morgana would probably tease him over it later, but he consoled himself by reasoning that by distracting Morgana he may have saved Arthur and Gwen's secret. Not that Morgana would ever try to hurt Gwen or Arthur, but it was just better that she was unaware of any affection between the maid and the Prince. The less people who know, the better.

By evening Merlin was more than ready to make camp, and sleep. It was apparent that Gwen, the knights, and the guards felt the same. Unfortunately, the leaders of the expedition didn't seem the least bit fatigued. They were also horrible about thinking of others, as evidenced by the fact that it apparently hadn't crossed Arthur or Morgana's mind that not everyone had boundless energy, strength, and resilience. They were still bantering, and bickering loudly with no sign of stopping any time soon. It really didn't look like they were going to stop for the day until they couldn't see the ground in front of them.

Merlin had tactfully tried to suggest they stop, by complaining, and using every idiomatic insult he could think of, but the nobles were blind to the manservant's suffering. It wasn't until Gwen said the same thing, albeit using a few more agreeable words and cajoling phrases, that they picked up on the lateness of the day, and the worn-out state of their traveling companions. It was quickly agreed that the first clearing to be found was to be their campsite for the night.

"I'm sorry, Gwen. I didn't realize that everyone else was having such a time. Why didn't anyone say anything?"

Arthur looked genuinely confused and concerned, as he addressed Gwen. He and Morgana were sitting side by side on a fallen log, and were drinking from their water skins as everyone around them setup camp. Gwen was helping Merlin collect firewood.

"Unbelievable!" Merlin burst out as soon as Arthur finished speaking.

"What now, _Mer_lin?" Arthur rolled his eyes as he turned towards his manservant.

Merlin set to work building the fire as he answered.

"Nothing, nothing. There is no reason that I might be upset. Even if I was it's not like you would listen to me anyway. I'm fine."

Arthur was completely befuddled by now, and turned to Gwen and Morgana for some translation of Merlin's behavior. Gwen made a face that very clearly stated 'I am not getting in the middle of this'. Morgana, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying the spectacle and answered Arthur's silent question.

" I think that Merlin is under the impression that you don't listen to him. I do believe that Merlin mentioned something earlier about stopping for the day. Right before Gwen, if I remember correctly."

Morgana's tone made it very clear that she remembered very well. She had that suspicious look on her face again. Arthur contemplated Morgana's words, and turned back to Merlin after a moment. His face was serious.

"Merlin… you are such a girl!"

Merlin rolled his eyes, and sighed in exasperation. Apparently, Arthur had completely missed what Morgana was implying. Gwen did not.

"Arthur!" Morgana tried to sound stern, but she was laughing to hard to sound reprimanding in any way.

"Morgana." Gwen did a much better job as she addressed her employer. Morgana gave Merlin sucha contrite smile that Merlin felt his irritation with the Pendragons ebb away.

"A repentant smile isn't a real apology milady." Gwen informed Morgana kindly.

"Why should I apologize? Arthur is the one who said it." Morgana looked near scandalized at being asked to admit to a wrong, and then accusing as she gestured to the Prince.

Arthur blushed as Gwen gave him a mildly disapproving frown. Arthur coughed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Merlin couldn't help the complacent smirk that was spreading across his face as Arthur cleared his throat and looked at Gwen, then at his manservant before speaking.

" I should pay more attention when you whine incessantly. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. I know you can't help being a dollop head."

Merlin gave Arthur an impertinent grin, and ducked behind a large knight as Arthur looked around for something to throw at him. Gwen stepped between Arthur and Merlin as she started on supper, effectively ending any thoughts Arthur entertained about injuring his servant without leaving his seat.

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and the others, of course. I would like to thank the 7 people who are following, and the 4 people who have put it on their favorites list.**

**I want everyone to know that I may stop writing this if I don't get any reviews. Just one, it can even be one word and I'm good. I'm not saying that I will definitely stop this story, I'm enjoying writing, but I can see myself, possibly, switching to a different project soon if I find that no ones interested in this one.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do not own Merlin**

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**Thank you for your reviews: Sherri, Yosef coleman, Aan, PsalmReader, and Morganaftw.**

**One reviewer in particular asked for longer chapters, so here you go, and thanks for the review, I really appreciate it. **

Morgana opened her eyes slowly, it was the first night of uninterrupted sleep she'd had in weeks. Which was actually kind of unusual now that she thought about it, considering that she had spent the night on the damp ground. Regardless, she was reluctant to abandon it in order to start a new day.

She was glad that she hadn't frightened the men with her, sometimes, intense reaction to her dreams. Gwen would have been the only one with any clue about what to do, if she had started screaming, thrashing around, and talking gibberish.

She almost smiled as she imagined the panicked faces of the oh so noble, brave, knights of Camelot. They would most likely be wondering which one of them, if not all, would be blamed if anything happened to the Kings Ward. They would probably react even worse than the last unfortunate maid who had found herself over her head when trying to wake her from one of her night terrors.

Morgana turned over onto her side, and glanced at the woman asleep in the bedroll beside her. It was probably the first time that Morgana had ever woken up before Gwen. Well, not counting when nightmares woke her up, or the days that she just didn't sleep.

It probably shouldn't surprise her that Gwen was sleeping later today. Yesterday had been long, and Gwen had seemed troubled last night. At first Morgana had assumed that it was because of the light sprinkling of rain that had started after dinner. No one wants to sleep in the rain, despite the decent shelter the trees gave, and the warm weather.

Morgana certainly didn't, and had a few knights throw some blankets over a few branches to create a tent like structure for Morgana and her maid to sleep under. This had troubled Gwen deeply, even though the knights had seemed happy to do it. Something about there being a certain number of blankets packed for a certain number of people, and someone being cold. Truth be told, Morgana hadn't paid her friends lecture much thought. She had enough on her mind without adding whatever scruples Gwen had on top of it.

Between her nightmares, the strange things that happened around her, her growing fear and isolation, her assuming cousin, her annoying almost adopted brother, her patience with Uther waning, and her secret fear of everyone turning against her; she just didn't have the time for anyone else. It wasn't like they ever wasted much thought on her. Even Gwen, who had always put her best friend first, was drifting away. Well, if no one else was going to think of her, than Morgana would just have to think of herself.

After a moment or so more of brooding, Morgana was finally lured out of the makeshift tent by the busy sounds of the men packing up. She didn't like missing anything, and was anxious to leave as soon as possible. She was ready to see Cornwall.

She sat down across from Arthur, and waited patiently for Merlin to get rations. It was a surprisingly nice morning. If she concentrated, she could just barely smell salt on the breeze. They were getting close to her former home.

"Good morning, my lady."

Merlin grinned at her, more cheerfully than one would expect so early in the day.

"Good morning Merlin."

Morgana gave him a small smile in return, his pleasant mood was slightly contagious.

He was handing her some bread and dried meat for breakfast when Morgana got the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around at the densely packed trees and other foliage, but could make out nothing out of the ordinary. It was probably nothing, she had a few admirers among the knights, so if anyone was watching her it was likely to have been one of them.

Whatever the case, she hadn't sensed any ill intent, and she generally listened to her instincts. She shrugged off her brief indulgence into a paranoid portion of her thoughts, and raised an eyebrow innocently at Merlin who was looking at her. He seemed a bit concerned. Apparently she wasn't quite as good at hiding her emotions as she thought she was. Well, that, or Merlin was more observant than people gave him credit for.

She studied Merlin curiously for a moment, as she mulled that last thought over. He did have an oddly knowing, almost wise look about him, sometimes, when he thought no one was paying him any attention. Merlin caught her gaze, and stumbled over a twig nearly falling into Arthur's lap, and spilt half a wineskin on top of Arthur's head.

Morgana sighed, she was obviously an open book, and clearly needed to rectify that. As kind, brave, and loyal as Merlin is, he is still just a foolish, clumsy, serving boy. It didn't make any sense for her to try to read more than that into it. Merlin was a better man than most even if he wasn't the brightest one out there.

Arthur sat fuming for a long moment, all his men froze (even the ones that were trying to bite back their grins), Morgana smirked, and Merlin smiled apologetically from his position, sprawled out on the forest floor.

"Merlin you are-"

"Are what? What happened to you, My Lord?"

Gwen was apparently awake. Morgana glanced over at the place where she had slept, and saw that Gwen had packed up their things already. While busy with that, she had managed to be the only person present not to witness Merlin's blunder.

Arthur seemed to be debating with himself. It must be very difficult for him to find a way to adequately describe his indignation and infuriation with his incompetent manservant, if the amount of time he sat there staring at Gwen without speaking was any indication. The pause was beginning to get awkwardly long. At least it felt awkward to Morgana. Arthur and Gwen didn't seem to notice anything amiss, and Merlin seemed to have forgotten that he was in trouble if his smile was anything to go by.

Morgana snapped her fingers in front of Arthur's face, which startled him out of his reverie, and seemed to remind him that he was supposed to be angry. He glared at Morgana for a moment then remembered that he was mad at Merlin, and answered Gwen's question with a clenched jaw.

"Merlin poured a large quantity of wine on me."

Arthur still looked annoyed, but his tone was calm enough, and the men gave a collective sigh of relief. They all went back to their tasks, even an intrigued looking Sir Leon. When it was just Morgana, Arthur, Gwen, and Merlin, Gwen spoke,

"I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose."

"No, I did not! He just overreacts to everything! You have no idea how impossible he is most of the time."

Merlin was standing, and looking a lot more confident with Gwen on his side, for some reason. Morgana couldn't see why Arthur would listen to her maid, it wasn't like he had any trouble insulting or disagreeing with women, which Morgana knew from personal experience. Arthur looked murderous as he heard Merlin's complaints, but reigned himself in as he noticed Gwen's near defeated expression, and reluctantly addressed Merlin.

"Just get me a new shirt, and something for you to clean this up with. If you think you can do it without messing it all up."

Merlin went off to do the Princes bidding. Gwen laid a hand on Arthur's shoulder, and squeezed, before walking away quickly. If Morgana didn't know any better she would think that Gwen was acting almost guilty about something.

When Gwen glanced at her furtively, as if gauging her reaction, to what Morgana didn't have a clue, Morgana began to suspect that something was wrong. Was she missing something important? Something that the other three seemed to know, but were purposefully keeping from her. As if she was some outsider, as if she couldn't be trusted.

Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her. There was no way that Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen were in on a secret that they felt had to be kept from her. Arthur and Merlin might have some sort of guy thing or inside joke that she didn't know because she was a woman, and Gwen and Merlin might have some sort of understanding or secret talks because they were both servants, but it made no sense for Arthur and Gwen to be part of some secret together. Morgana thought that she had been in the room every time the two had spoken, and they had never seemed to notice each other before.

No, there was nothing going on. Morgana knew this for certain because the other three were her friends, and therefore wouldn't be keeping secrets from her. If they had some sort of problem they would surely know that they could come to her for help, she had never denied them her help before when they had come to her, not that she could remember. It wouldn't make sense for them not to trust her, and yet…she definitely had a feeling that her suspicious were right.

She was being excluded, and she didn't know why. Had she done something wrong? No, that couldn't be it. Maybe Gwen had told the boys about the strange things that had been happening to her. The odd occurrences, the things that might, possibly, be…magic.

Even in her thoughts it felt wrong, and dangerous to admit that she might have some very weak, almost nonexistent, magic. At least she hoped it was relatively weak,. If it somehow got stronger it would probably get harder than it already was to conceal.

Not that it wasn't already a challenge. Just a few days ago a candle had lit and unlit itself, at the same time as a bowl of water started spinning, with only Gwen and Morgana in the room. Which was both good and bad. Good that Gwen was the only witness, and bad that Gwen was a witness at all. Morgana had hoped that Gwen hadn't noticed the water or the candle, but that might have been a bit much to expect.

If Gwen had gone to Arthur and Merlin, and told them what she had seen it would explain why the three others were suddenly so close. They were clearly conspiring against her because they thought she was a witch. And nothing created a stronger bond between people than a common enemy. Then again they had had more than enough time to turn her into Uther, if it was their intention to do so.

Gwen smiled at her sheepishly, as if she was still thinking about earlier, and made her way over to the horses. Morgana got up and followed. Once everyone was ready, and the wagon attached to a few horses, they continued on their way. Arthur rode up beside her.

"You know if we just left the wagon with all your clothes and hairbrushes behind we could be there a day sooner."

"It is not just clothes, and hairbrushes." Morgana lied indignantly

"Really, what else is in those trunks?"

" If your so curious about what a woman of my standing brings with her when going to stay somewhere a distance from her home, why don't we see if we can find you a wife among the Ladies at Cornwall? I'm sure at least one of them will be interested. I mean, you are a Prince, and none of them will have the misfortune of actually knowing you."

Arthur rolled his eyes, and then shared a look with Gwen. She nodded in understanding, as if they were sharing some wordless conversation, and Arthur rode on so that he was at the head of the procession.

They were probably just waiting for more proof. There was no way that Uther would believe the word of a servant over the word of his Ward. However, if the Crown Prince leveled accusations against her, she just didn't know how that would turn out. She did know that she had no desire to ever be in a situation where she would have to find out.

Sure, Uther regularly told her how loved she was, but those were simply words, and words were often empty. Morgana knew how easy it was to lie. You can say whatever you like, little of it can be proven, as long as your careful. There is no real way to tell what a person is thinking.

The closest you could come to reading a persons thoughts is by looking at a persons actions, the reason why someone would do something is of little to no importance as you are unlikely to find a completely honest answer.

No matter how close you come to the truth, it is nearly impossible to know the full story as far as anything is concerned. So you have to rely on the actions of another to speak for oneself rather than pay too much heed to whatever comes out of their mouths.

Based on the way Uther had treated her and everyone else in Camelot for over twenty years it was probably safe to say that he would not tolerate a sorceress living under his roof. It might be different if Arthur was the one with this…gift. Arthur was Uther's son and heir, it would make sense for Uther, to maybe, forgive Arthur for having this sort of malady.

Camelot must come before all else, when you are a Pendragon. If Arthur had magic, and could keep it to himself, than Uther would be more lenient to him than to anyone else in the Kingdom. While Morgana believed that Uther cared for her, she was also well aware that she was not truly family.

Uther had only taken her in because he promised her father, Gorlois, to look after her. He had made that abundantly clear on multiple occasions. She was not the heir to the throne, the future of Camelot. She was not Uther's legacy, and she didn't see any reason that Uther wouldn't treat her as he had so many others.

Anyway, as she had no control whatsoever of her powers, if that's what they were, it seemed that she only had two options before her. She could try to keep a good distance from her friends, so that if anything unusual did happen, they would not be around to witness it. Her other option would be to trust her friends to keep her secret, and hope for the best.

Gwen tried not to let her anxiety show, but she feared that her best efforts were laughable. Morgana was riding beside her, just behind Arthur, and was even more reserved than usual. She answered politely enough when addressed, but her tone was chilly, and didn't invite conversation. Morgana was particularly cool to Arthur and Merlin, and she hadn't even made eye contact with her best friend. She'd been in a mood since morning, and Gwen had a sinking feeling that she knew why.

Morgana had clearly noted the interaction between the maid and the prince. It was the only explanation that Gwen had come to that made any sense. For the first hour Gwen had assumed that maybe it was the idea of going back to Cornwall finally hitting her, and Morgana was just strategizing, but that didn't explain why she should be almost resentful towards her only friends, and amiable, if a bit aloof, towards everyone else.

It hurt that Morgana would react so bitterly to the idea that her foster brother, and her best friend might have feelings for one another. Gwen had always known that Morgana wouldn't be overly pleased with a maid for a potential almost sister-in-law, even if it was someone who she had called the closest thing she had to a sister already.

Gwen didn't think that the idea of a maid and a prince would particularly offend Morgana if it was in some other kingdom, it would probably even amuse her. She would enjoy the scandal, and perhaps even say a word or two in the couples defense. When it came down to it though, it was doubtful that she would understand it. Why a maid and a prince would want to be together or what the two could possibly have in common.

Love and friendship were things that generally alluded Morgana, not to say that she didn't love, she just didn't love particularly well, or easily. She had difficulty paying attention or caring about things that didn't have to do with her. As for friendship, well there was a reason her friends were two servants, who pretty much had to do whatever she said, and her almost brother. She could be witty, charming, almost magnetic, and complimentary, but while she inspired loyalty and followers with those traits, friendship was different.

Morgana had a few misconceptions about herself, one of them being that she was an understanding person. She would have been insulted if anyone accused her of being closed minded or, worse still, set in her ways. She could probably come up with a hundred arguments and examples that supported her position. Whatever Morgana may feel, say, or argue in regards to the matter, it was true.

Once Morgana made up her mind about something, or someone, it was near impossible to change her mind. Morgana had been raised to think a certain way, and that's how she thought. Her sense of self entitlement was nearly as strong. Even if she herself didn't realize it.

Morgana believed that nobles were nobles and that servants were servants. She had accepted this truth, and naturally supported it, as this way of thinking and acting had made her one of the most wealthy, and important people in the five kingdoms. She was basically royalty through no virtue or effort of her own, and if she felt that this was wrong, that things should be done differently, then everyone who knew her would be very aware of her opinion on the matter.

Morgana was vocal, to say the least, even when Gwen wished that she would just keep her thoughts to herself. As it was Morgana was a strong supporter of the aristocracy, and enjoyed the rights given to her. The idea that Arthur would marry beneath him, and that the person he wished to marry used to work for her, would be outrageous to her. The thought that her maid might become her Queen would probably be enough to end their friendship.

She wouldn't be the only one against it either. Every noble in Camelot would probably be horrified, Gwen just hoped that they wouldn't be angry enough to rebel against Arthur. Gwen knew that Uther would not tolerate even the idea of it for a moment. He was more likely to try to have her executed…again.

Gwen wasn't sure what she should do about the whole situation. How should she react if Morgana knew? Should she pretend that she didn't know that Morgana knew? Or would that make things worse? What if Morgana was merely suspicious, and didn't _really _know what was going? If Gwen went to talk to her about it, she might simply confirm those suspicions, and wreck everything.

Okay, the first thing she should do is tell Arthur. He had a right to know that their secret was in danger, and it wasn't like Morgana couldn't keep a secret. So it would be best to discuss things with Arthur. Or was she just trying to convince herself of that because she wanted to put off a confrontation with Morgana for as long as possible? No, it was right to tell Arthur first. His whole future would be determined by the choices they make now, not Morgana's. She could be as sulky as she liked, she was not going to make this all about her.

A scout Arthur had sent ahead came hurtling through the trees, and raised a hand in a 'don't come any further' gesture, and raised his other hand to his lips, and mimed a shushing sound. Everyone stopped, and the man tiptoed to Arthur, wincing at the slightest of noises.

He opened his mouth presumably to relay whatever it was that had him so serious, when the other scout showed up about a 100 paces before the group, and shouted, his voice slicing through the ominous silence, and making almost everyone jump.

"Did you tell them about the bandits that were following us? I think we lost them, but they could be anywhere near by!"

The young man, the boy really, looked immensely proud of himself for a moment. He seemed to think he was quite the hero for coming back to warn everyone. His enthusiasm began to wane as he noticed the reaction of everyone else.

His brow furrowed in confusion as Arthur and the other scout waved their arms frantically, in a 'please, I'm begging, just be quiet' way, but the boy just shook his head, obviously not understanding what the others were trying to tell him. He cupped his hands to shout again when a crossbow bolt tore through his stomach.

Arthur, and the knights and guards drew their swords. The foolish young scout who had accidentally led the bandits right to them, stood staring at the wound, surprised, and dropped to his knees. A moment later Gwen lost sight of him as the enemy rushed over the spot where he had just stood.

Gwen glanced at Morgana, and for a moment, they understood each other. She saw her pity for the scout, and her fear of what was to come reflected back at her. That moment gave Gwen hope that things could be patched up between them, and she felt almost relieved, even amidst all the chaos about her.

That is until she saw the men trying to surround them. There were twice as many of them as there were of Arthur's men, but the men of Camelot seemed to be holding their own. Gwen heard Morgana give a startled shout as her horse was cut down from under her, and she was pinned beneath it.

Gwen looked for Arthur, and found him in the thick of it. She was going to shout to him about Morgana, but she noticed that Arthur was already, slowly, but surely, making his way to Morgana. He was intercepted at every turn, and Gwen realized that Morgana was probably going to be killed before he was able to get to her.

Gwen hopped from her horse, intending to help Morgana herself. Before she had taken a single step, one of the attackers swung at Morgana, she managed to roll out from under the horse, and avoid the blow intended for her. Gwen thought she saw a flash of gold, but it was probably just a reflection from one of the swords, or armor.

The man swung again, and Gwen was devastated to know that she might be about to witness the death of her best friend, there was nothing she could do. A sword came out of nowhere, and struck the man who threatened Morgana. He crumpled in a heap, and was trampled beneath the hooves of the mounted warrior who had protected Morgana.

The warrior was not one of Arthur's knights, Gwen didn't know who it could be. She was just glad that the warrior was apparently on their side, and had great timing. If it bothered Morgana that she didn't know who her savior was, it didn't show. As soon as the mysterious armor clad figure held out a hand Morgana took it, and the sword of her almost murderer, and swung up onto the saddle behind her protector.

Gwen scrambled back to her horse, and rode behind a line of men who were steadily pushing the aggressors back. Arthur, Morgana, and Morgana's savior were at the front, hacking away at the enemy. Merlin ran behind a tree, and avoided being crushed by a large branch by seconds. The man chasing him wasn't so lucky.

Gwen saw that the help of the stranger was decisive. The stranger seemed to be having no difficulty, sometimes fighting two men at a time, and cutting them down easily. Even Arthur was beginning to look impressed. When there were only a handful of the enemy left, they turned and ran. Arthur looked tempted to follow, but ultimately decided to stay, and check on the wounded of his own men.

Nobody on our side, other than that young scout, were killed, most of the injuries were minor. There was one man who received a wound to the leg, and would probably have to ride on the wagon with Morgana's, and a few of Arthur's, things. She hoped that Morgana would be tactful enough to avoid asking the man to make sure he didn't get his blood on her stuff, but knew not to hold her breath.

Arthur started walking towards her, obviously concerned, but Gwen shook her head, and mouthed 'I'm fine'.

Arthur nodded, but looked slightly disgruntled that she didn't want to take the opportunity presented, to talk to him. Which wasn't the case at all. Gwen just didn't want to risk drawing attention to the fact that the Prince of Camelot was very concerned about his father's Wards maid.

Gwen turned to the general direction that she had last seen Morgana at. She wondered if Morgana had seen Arthur's slip. She was sure to be on the lookout now that she suspected that there may be some affection between Arthur and herself.

When Gwen finally caught sight of Morgana, she realized that she didn't have anything to fear, as the mysterious stranger had Morgana's undivided attention. They seemed to be talking, though Gwen couldn't hear what they were saying. The hero got off the horse, and held out a hand to help Morgana.

Arthur walked over to the two, raised an eyebrow as he noticed that Morgana and her savior were still holding hands, and cleared his throat to get their attention. Both heads snapped up at the sound, and they looked at Arthur. Well, Gwen assumed that the stranger was looking at Arthur. You couldn't really tell because of the helmet. The eye slit was facing Arthur's general direction, at least. That was encouraging.

"I owe you thanks. You saved the life of someone very dear to me, and your help may have preserved the lives of several of my men. If you are traveling the same way as us, I would like you to join us. It would be a lot easier to repay you if I had a chance to save your life. Will you do us the honor of temporarily becoming part of our band?"

The Stranger nodded.

"It would be easier on everyone if you would show your face. Maybe even tell us your name?"

Morgana started laughing in a way that said that she knew something nobody else did.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

Everyone exchanged looks of confusion, and the Stranger pulled away from Morgana, and held out a hand to Arthur. He clasped it briefly, and the Mystery Warrior stepped back, and removed the metal helmet. Long blonde hair tumbled down, and a woman with tan skin, and brown eyes straightened up.

"My name is Morgause."

**A/N: **You know, I always thought that a lot of trouble on Merlin could have been avoided if there had been a little more communication going on. No one ever talked to anyone about anything. Now Gwen thinks that Morgana has found out about Arwen, and Morgana, of course, thinks the whole things is about her.

A reviewer mentioned that she/he ships Arwen, so I tried to make that a bit of a bigger part of the story. I didn't plan that in my original outline, so were just going to have to see where that goes together, because I have no clue.

I don't care if you hated Morgause, you have to admit that she had one of the best entrances on the show, and I hope that I did her justice.

I wanted to tell you guys that on the Merlin Wiki, a person, Fimber, has been doing a rewatching Merlin thing. She/he, and a few others are having some interesting discussions about Merlin, and anyone is welcome to join in, and give their thoughts on each episode. All you need to do is get on the Merlin Wiki, search rewatching Merlin, and there it is.

I found it interesting, so you guys should check it out, if you have time.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed.


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